| Dauphin County, Pennsylvania | ||
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Location in the state of Pennsylvania |
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Pennsylvania's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | March 4, 1785 | |
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| Seat | Harrisburg | |
| Largest city | Harrisburg | |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
558 sq mi (1,445 km²) 525 sq mi (1,360 km²) 32 sq mi (83 km²), |
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| Population - (2010) - Density |
268,100 510/sq mi (197.1/km²) |
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| Website | www.dauphincounty.org | |
Dauphin County ( /ˈdɔːfɪn/) is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of the three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 census, the population was 268,100. The county includes the city of Harrisburg, which has served as the state capital since 1812. Also located within the county is Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station, site of the 1979 nuclear core meltdown.
Dauphin County was created on March 4, 1785, from part of Lancaster County and was named after Louis-Joseph, Dauphin of France the first son of Louis XVI. Louis-Joseph's title of Dauphin signified that he was the heir apparent to the throne of France. The county seat is Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's capital and tenth largest city.[1]
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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 558 square miles (1,450 km2), of which 525 square miles (1,360 km2) is land and 32 square miles (83 km2) (5.78%) is water. The county is bound to its western border by the Susquehanna River.
| Historical populations | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 18,155 |
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| 1800 | 22,270 | 22.7% | |
| 1810 | 31,883 | 43.2% | |
| 1820 | 21,653 | −32.1% | |
| 1830 | 25,243 | 16.6% | |
| 1840 | 30,118 | 19.3% | |
| 1850 | 35,754 | 18.7% | |
| 1860 | 46,756 | 30.8% | |
| 1870 | 60,740 | 29.9% | |
| 1880 | 76,148 | 25.4% | |
| 1890 | 96,977 | 27.4% | |
| 1900 | 114,443 | 18.0% | |
| 1910 | 136,152 | 19.0% | |
| 1920 | 153,116 | 12.5% | |
| 1930 | 165,231 | 7.9% | |
| 1940 | 177,410 | 7.4% | |
| 1950 | 197,784 | 11.5% | |
| 1960 | 220,255 | 11.4% | |
| 1970 | 223,834 | 1.6% | |
| 1980 | 232,317 | 3.8% | |
| 1990 | 237,813 | 2.4% | |
| 2000 | 251,805 | 5.9% | |
| 2010 | 268,100 | 6.5% | |
| [2][3] | |||
As of the 2010 census, the county was 72.7% White, 18.0% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 3.2% Asian, and 3.1% were two or more races. 7.0% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry[1].
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 251,798 people, 102,670 households, and 66,119 families residing in the county. The population density was 479 people per square mile (185/km²). There were 111,133 housing units at an average density of 212 per square mile (82/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 77.11% White, 16.91% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 1.96% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.97% from other races, and 1.85% from two or more races. 4.13% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 29.2% were of German, 7.5% Irish, 7.3% American and 7.2% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000. 91.8% spoke English and 3.9% Spanish as their first language.
According to 2005 estimates, 73.9% of the county's population was non-Hispanic whites. 17.8% of the population was African-Americans. 2.5% were Asians. Latinos now were 5.0% of the population.[5]
In 2000 there were 102,670 households out of which 29.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.60% were married couples living together, 12.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.60% were non-families. 30.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county, the population was spread out with 24.30% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 30.10% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 14.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.80 males.
As of November 2008, there are 192,743 registered voters in Dauphin County [2].
Like most of the rest of the Susquehanna Valley, Dauphin County was once reliably Republican, and the commissioner majority and all county row offices remain in Republican hands. However, there has been a decided shift toward the Democrats in recent years, who overtook the Republican countywide registration during the summer of 2008. Bob Casey Jr. carried the county in the 2006 Senate election when he unseated Rick Santorum. According to the Dauphin County Board of Elections, in 2008 Barack Obama became the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry Dauphin County since 1964, receiving 9.0% more of the vote than John McCain. The other three statewide winners (Rob McCord for Treasurer, Jack Wagner for Auditor General, and Tom Corbett for Attorney General) also carried Dauphin. [3]
| Senator | Party |
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| Pat Toomey | Republican |
| Bob Casey | Democrat |
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Dauphin County:
See also: List of Harrisburg neighborhoods
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Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.
Several public charter schools are established in Dauphin County [6]
The Capital Area Intermediate Unit 15 is a state approved education agency that offers: school districts, charter schools, private schools, and home school students, a variety of services including: a completely developed K-12 curriculum that is mapped and aligned with the Pennsylvania Academic Standards (available online), shared services, a group purchasing program and a wide variety of special education and special needs services.
The Dauphin County Library System provides library service to the residents of the county through a main library in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and seven branch libraries. DCLS is a private, non-profit corporation. It is governed by a 17-member Board of Trustees, five appointed annually by the Dauphin County Commissioners, and twelve elected for three-year terms. The library is a member of the Pennsylvania library system.
As reported by the National Center for Educational Statistics[7]
There are two Pennsylvania state parks in Dauphin County.
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